What should you know about eye sensitivity to light causes?

Light sensitivity, also called photophobia, means ordinary light feels harsh, painful, or difficult to tolerate. Migraine can make light uncomfortable with headache, nausea, or visual changes. Conjunctivitis may cause watering, redness, gritty discomfort, and sensitivity when the eye surface is inflamed. Dryness, a scratched surface, contact-lens irritation, or bright-screen exposure can also contribute. Less common but urgent causes include inflammation inside the eye and Meningitis, particularly when light sensitivity occurs with fever, severe headache, vomiting, confusion, or a stiff neck. The symptom alone does not identify its cause.

Move to gentle, indirect lighting and lower screen glare. Wear ordinary sunglasses outdoors if needed, but do not stay in darkness all day because gradual exposure can be more comfortable. Rest your eyes, avoid rubbing, and remove contact lenses while discomfort continues. A cool compress over closed eyelids may soothe surface irritation. Note whether headache, redness, discharge, nausea, fever, or visual disturbance appears alongside the sensitivity.

Seek urgent medical help for light sensitivity with severe or sudden headache, fever and stiff neck, confusion, a seizure, repeated vomiting, sudden vision change, or severe eye pain. Prompt assessment is also needed after an eye injury or chemical splash, or if the eye is very red and painful. Arrange an eye or medical review when the symptom persists, returns often, affects one eye, or prevents normal activities.

Ask whether the light sensitivity fits migraine, surface irritation, or eye inflammation, and whether your vision and eye pressure should be checked. Tell the clinician when it started, whether it is one-sided, what light levels trigger it, and whether you have headache, redness, discharge, fever, injury, or contact-lens use.